The Photos the LA Galaxy Tried to Confiscate

IT COULD BE A CLEVER BIT of reverse psychology. Threaten fans, the strategy might go, and make them think their David Beckham photos are worth something. Maybe they'll post them on Flickr. But the suit who approached me at tonight's LA Galaxy game probably isn't that clever.

Suit: Getting good shots?

Me: They're OK.

Suit: I'm have to confiscate that camera. You're not allowed to have that kind of camera here.

Me: What kind of camera?

Suit (pointing at the D50 on my Nikon D50): The number means that it's professional.

Guy in front of me with a cheap-ass camera being no help whatsoever: Yeah, it's nothing like my camera.

Me (knowing that D50 is strictly an entry-level consumer digital SLR and calling the suit's bluff): This is a personal camera. I'm on vacation.

Suit: Are you media accredited?

Me: No.

Suit (giving up): Well, keep the camera pointed at the field.

One would think that the LA Galaxy would take time to realize: a) it scored the first genuine soccer star in three decades, b) it brought him to a city obsessed with photography, c) the future of Major League Soccer may depend somewhat on DINKs with $120 to blow on back-row seats, and d) these very same DINKs could have half-decent cameras and blogs with only slightly less of an audience than the "accredited" media willing to have every shot micromanaged from a sideline pen.

Or maybe it is all reverse psychology. Ha! I guess the joke's on me.

Here's the complete gallery on Flickr.

Infiltrating Altadena Country Club

WE HAD TO SEE some fireworks last night. Had to. Big ones. The LAFD-sponsored site, SafeJuly4th.org, listed Altadena Town & Country Club as one of eight hot spots for July 3. Great! Fireworks and a chance to find out where the hell Altadena is. The streets of this suburb of a suburb were packed. Parked cars, lawn chairs, bands of roving teens, all drawn like metal shavings to the country club magnet. Should we resign ourselves to a darkened curb? Or try to get closer? Country Club Parking Lot Guard: You members? Us: No Guard: Friends of members? Us: Umm, yeah. Guard: Down the hill, entrance on the left. We were in. Before us, a smorgasbord of American independence. Literally: the country club put out rows of buffet food, a hosted pie table, freezers of ice cream, a live band and a bar. Little did we know "friends" of members were expected to pay $55.95 each. No one asked us for money. (And we didn't eat.) After a while, one guy gave us the parking guard interrogation. He wanted to who we came with. Mrs. Newbie smartly, vaguely pointed toward the crowded tennis courts, lined with dozens of banquet tables. The Pattersons, she said. (Good thing she didn't say Martinez. Or Chang.) He bought it. We settled on a grassy knoll near the swimming pool. The fireworks started late, well past the promised 9:30 launch. (Or so we overheard from the key party couples on the next blanket.) And the giant tree seemed even more giant this year (or so we heard) and blocked part of the show. Next year, we'll ask the Pattersons to say something about that tree. 13 photos from Altadena Country Club [Flickr]

When To Talk at the Movies

Friday night at the ArcLight, originally uploaded by stutefish.

INSPIRED BY TWO CHATTY DUDES behind us last night at an Arclight Cinemas showing of "Spiderman 3," I've assembled this helpful list. Too tired of using your "theater" voice? Confused about subtle etiquette differences between a living-room TV set and a 500-seat auditorium? Feel like your $14 ticket comes with more rights than my $14 ticket? Need a change of scenery from AMC Universal CityWalk? Then this list is for you. When To Talk at the Movies (Only for People Sitting Directly Behind Me During Sold-Out Screenings) During previews of coming attractions During opening credits During musical sequences or montages When you recognize - or think you might recognize - an actor To offer what you can remember of the actor's filmography To show how well you can read a particularly interesting word from a subtitle, t-shirt, sign, product or poster To ask for help reading a word from a subtitle, t-shirt, sign, product or poster When you recognize a location or building To warn a character of impending doom To appreciate the setup of an impending comedic event To share excitement over the mention of your city or state To obtain a recap of events during a restroom/concession run To repeat something you found clever or amusing To get someone else to repeat something you didn't hear To guess the next line during a dramatic/comedic pause To rewrite the script more to your liking To transition from laughing loudly to sitting silently again When you're startled - or just tricked into being startled When taking a call When responding to a text message When trying to quiet a baby/child When trying to make a baby/child When you actually are a baby/child On a first date On any subsequent date When kissing/lovemaking scenes make you uncomfortable To wonder about a plot point that is only partially revealed To offer a review of the film To guess the ending before – or as – it happens To prove you knew how it would end To share adulation with a director or star who is not present

Newbie Night at Chichen Itza

Mrs. Newbie wanted Mexican. No, she said, Cuban. Let's meet in the middle, I offered. And thanks to reliable blog-LA-sphere foodie Eating LA, we discovered Chichen Itza, 2501 W. 6th St. - across from Wilshire Walk highlight Park Plaza Hotel. Chichen Itza features Yucatan cuisine that "combines Mexican and Cuban flavors, with lots of meats marinated in orange juice and tropical twists on familiar Mexican dishes." I had queso relleno, which featured a ball of Baby Edam cheese, carved out, filled with raisins, almonds and ground pork. We got there about 6:00pm, parked up a steep steep hill, had the joint to ourselves, and had a great waiter/tourguide. We'll be back.

Newbie Night at El Cid

Key learnings:

1. For a celebration dinner, Flamenco dinner theater does the trick.

2. Friend reaction to Flamenco dinner theater was, "Whoa. That exists?"

3. If something surprises people by its mere existence, I have to do it. Once.

4. Explains why so many people were having birthday parties there last night.

5. The place was built 106 years ago. Might still have same climate controls.

6. Dinner is only $10! Sort of. It's $34.95 for dinner plus show, but $25 for show only.

7. Understand the hand-wringing singer and the googly-eyed guitarist, and understand half of David Lynch's movies.

8. This is not Casa Bonita. Seriously. It's not. Stop it.

[Photo from Planet Dust]

Our Picture in the LA Times

L.A. Puts On Its Party Hats [Los Angeles Times]

Dear Beck,

Thanks for putting on your rock and roll show last night in downtown Los Angeles. That was us, about 50 rows back on the right.

I know some people complained that it was only a one-hour show. We didn't mind. It was an all-day festival, after all, and Queens of the Stone Age had already started on the other stage. Besides, we like medleys! And the puppet show was funny. How long did the puppeteers practice so they could get the little Beck puppet to sing all the right lyrics?

And what was that line from the puppet video? "Gonna spray some east LA on your shit?" Mrs. Newbie thinks it was "shed." Please advise. Or put the video on YouTube.

Sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. Atwater Village Newbie

Up Now! Our Favorite LA Food Weekend

Erin's Kitchen has posted our Newbie contribution to her favorite weekend series. There's meat! Potatoes! I mean, patios! Agua frescas! And the first ever published photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Newbie. Sure, our faces are obscured by a camera flash bouncing back in a convex mirror at night, but that's really us!

• Atwater Village Newbie's (and Mrs. Newbie's) Favorite Weekend

Newbie Night at the Bowl

Cheese Plate
+ Bottle of Wine
+ Hollywood & Highland Shuttle
+ LA Philharmonic
+ Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture
+ USC Marching Band
+ Fireworks
+ Nearly Full Moon

= Ideal first visit to Hollywood Bowl

How do they position and build an outdoor music venue - mere blocks from the heart of Hollywood - that so completely protects the audience from outside sound? Even during the quietest piano concerto, only cricket chirps made it over the walls. For our Colorado friends, imagine dropping Red Rocks Amphitheatre next to Union Station and losing none of the acoustic wonder.

My First LA Pizza

Some places are known for their pizza. New York's thin crust. Chicago's deep dish. California's ... um ... pizza kitchen.

Last night Mrs. Newbie and I hankered for "dinner in the round" and I tackled the Internets to find out what non-newbies think is LA's best pizza.

Of course the lists were pepperoni'd with addresses in Santa Monica and Venice and West Hollywood - too far for starving (and self-respecting) eastsiders like us.

But two eastside joints kept popping up: Masa of Echo Park and Casa Bianca Pizza Pie in Eagle Rock. A mental coin-flip took us to Masa, 1800 W. Sunset, about four miles from Atwater Village.

(Those among you who believe tropical fruit may not peacefully co-exist with other pizza ingredients should read no further.)

When we found out Masa's signature deep-dish pie takes - for all the right reasons - an hour to cook, we went with the thin-crust prosciutto, jalapeno and pineapple.

Pizza: good. Service: better than good. Location: easy enough.

Will we go back? Probably. But life is too short - and this city too big - to visit the same restaurant twice in a row. Next, likely, is Casa Bianca. Or someplace else. The search continues...